Faculty Collaboration Database

Effect of graft source on unrelated donor haemopoietic stem-cell transplantation in adults with acute leukaemia: a retrospective analysis. Lancet Oncol 2010 Jul;11(7):653-60

Date

06/19/2010

Pubmed ID

20558104

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3163510

DOI

10.1016/S1470-2045(10)70127-3

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-77954031042 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   481 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Umbilical-cord blood (UCB) is increasingly considered as an alternative to peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) or bone marrow, especially when an HLA-matched adult unrelated donor is not available. We aimed to determine the optimal role of UCB grafts in transplantation for adults with acute leukaemia, and to establish whether current graft-selection practices are appropriate.

METHODS: We used Cox regression to retrospectively compare leukaemia-free survival and other outcomes for UCB, PBPC, and bone marrow transplantation in patients aged 16 years or over who underwent a transplant for acute leukaemia. Data were available on 1525 patients transplanted between 2002 and 2006. 165 received UCB, 888 received PBPCs, and 472 received bone marrow. UCB units were matched at HLA-A and HLA-B at antigen level, and HLA-DRB1 at allele level (n=10), or mismatched at one (n=40) or two (n=115) antigens. PBPCs and bone-marrow grafts from unrelated adult donors were matched for allele-level HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, and HLA-DRB1 (n=632 and n=332, respectively), or mismatched at one locus (n=256 and n=140, respectively).

FINDINGS: Leukaemia-free survival in patients after UCB transplantation was comparable with that after 8/8 and 7/8 allele-matched PBPC or bone-marrow transplantation. However, transplant-related mortality was higher after UCB transplantation than after 8/8 allele-matched PBPC recipients (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.18-2.23; p=0.003) or bone-marrow transplantation (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.19-2.39; p=0.003). Grades 2-4 acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) were lower in UCB recipients compared with allele-matched PBPC (HR 0.57, 95% 0.42-0.77; p=0.002 and HR 0.38, 0.27-0.53; p=0.003, respectively), while the incidence of chronic, but not acute GvHD, was lower after UCB than after 8/8 allele-matched bone-marrow transplantation (HR 0.63, 0.44-0.90; p=0.01).

INTERPRETATION: These data support the use of UCB for adults with acute leukaemia when there is no HLA-matched unrelated adult donor available, and when a transplant is needed urgently.

Author List

Eapen M, Rocha V, Sanz G, Scaradavou A, Zhang MJ, Arcese W, Sirvent A, Champlin RE, Chao N, Gee AP, Isola L, Laughlin MJ, Marks DI, Nabhan S, Ruggeri A, Soiffer R, Horowitz MM, Gluckman E, Wagner JE, Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, Acute Leukemia Working Party Eurocord (the European Group for Blood Marrow Transplantation), National Cord Blood Program of the New York Blood Center

Authors

Mary Eapen MBBS, DCh, MRCPI, MS Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Mary M. Horowitz MD, MS Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Mei-Jie Zhang PhD Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Bone Marrow Transplantation
Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
Disease-Free Survival
Female
Graft vs Host Disease
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Humans
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
Male
Middle Aged
Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
Proportional Hazards Models
Retrospective Studies
Transplantation, Homologous